Iced vs Dear ImGui
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A Rust library for building desktop and web graphical interfaces, modeled on the Elm architecture.
Open source · MIT
A lightweight C++ library for building immediate-mode graphical user interfaces, mainly for tools and games.
The short answer
Choose Iced if you need…
- Rust developers building a desktop GUI application
- Developers who like the Elm-style state, message, and update pattern
- Projects that want a renderer-agnostic runtime they can plug into existing systems
- Developers who want to write custom widgets
Choose Dear ImGui if you need…
- Game developers who want an in-engine debug or tools panel
- C++ developers building internal tools that need a quick interface
- Developers who want a small GUI library with few dependencies
Side-by-side
| Iced | Dear ImGui | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 31.9k | 76.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | Rust | C++ |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 6 days ago |
What each one is
Iced
Iced is a toolkit for Rust programmers who want to build windowed graphical user interfaces. You describe your app as state, messages, a view function that draws widgets, and an update function that reacts to messages, following the Elm architecture. The README says it targets Windows, macOS, Linux, and the Web, and it is described as experimental software.
Dear ImGui
Dear ImGui is a C++ library for drawing graphical user interfaces such as buttons, sliders, and windows. It is described as bloat-free with minimal dependencies, and it is commonly used for debug panels and tools inside games and other software. The README provided to me was empty, so this description relies mainly on the repository's description and topics.
Best for
Iced
- Rust developers building a desktop GUI application
- Developers who like the Elm-style state, message, and update pattern
- Projects that want a renderer-agnostic runtime they can plug into existing systems
- Developers who want to write custom widgets
Dear ImGui
- Game developers who want an in-engine debug or tools panel
- C++ developers building internal tools that need a quick interface
- Developers who want a small GUI library with few dependencies
Strengths
Iced
- Follows a clear, type-safe Elm-style model for state, messages, and updates
- Supports multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and the Web, according to the README
- Modular design with a renderer-agnostic runtime and a software fallback renderer
Dear ImGui
- Described as bloat-free with minimal dependencies
- Widely starred and actively pushed, with a v1.93.0 release listed
- Released under the permissive MIT license
Not ideal for
Iced
- People who are not programming in Rust, since the library is a Rust crate
- Teams that need a production-stable UI toolkit, because the README says Iced is currently experimental software
- Users looking for an end-user application to install rather than a library to build with
Dear ImGui
- People who want a ready-made desktop app with no coding, since this is a library for developers
- Teams that need a native-looking, polished end-user interface out of the box, because the README provided does not establish this
Trade-offs
Iced
- The README states that Iced is currently experimental software
- The latest release is listed without binaries, so you build from source or through Rust tooling
- Documentation and learning resources are mainly external (book, docs.rs, examples), and the README excerpt does not show setup steps
Dear ImGui
- The README was not available to verify features, APIs, or setup details
- Release v1.93.0 is listed without binaries, so you build from source
- Being a library, it requires C++ programming to use
Getting started
Iced
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/iced-rs/icedDear ImGui
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ocornut/imguiFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Iced and Dear ImGui?
Iced: A Rust library for building desktop and web graphical interfaces, modeled on the Elm architecture. Dear ImGui: A lightweight C++ library for building immediate-mode graphical user interfaces, mainly for tools and games. Iced suits rust developers building a desktop gui application, while Dear ImGui suits game developers who want an in-engine debug or tools panel.
Are Iced and Dear ImGui free?
Iced: Free and open source. Dear ImGui: Free and open source.
Is Iced or Dear ImGui more popular?
Dear ImGui has more GitHub stars (76.9k) than Iced (31.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Iced and Dear ImGui?
Other options people compare them with include NiceGUI, Dear PyGui, Ratatui, dva, EnTT.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.